Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, former communist countries have continued to call themselves “socialist" countries. If you Google “socialism,” AI provides the following answer: “Synonym for socialism often including communism, Marxism, social democracy and leftism.” According to AI, the opposite of socialism is capitalism.
Indeed, socialism pursues state ownership, collectivism, people’s democracy and government control under the banner of social justice and economic equality. On the contrary, capitalism values private ownership, free markets, liberal democracy, individualism, competition and a laissez-faire approach that prefers minimal government intervention.
South Korea has achieved its astonishing economic success — the “Miracle on the Han” — by adopting capitalism. Strangely, however, the Korean people have repeatedly elected politicians who declare that they will turn South Korea into a socialist country. It is only natural, therefore, that foreigners wonder if the Korean people prefer socialism to capitalism.
Perhaps we should ask ourselves a few questions based on the provided definitions of socialism and capitalism. Then, we might be able to provide an answer to the foreigners’ question. For example, do we want the government to control us? Is it all right if the state owns the land that currently belongs to us? If our answer is yes, it means we prefer socialism.
Do we want a society without competition? Are we excited when our politicians pledge to build a society without competition where everybody gets an equal share of the pie regardless of their efforts or abilities? Are we inspired by such words as social justice and equal distribution of wealth? If our answer is yes, it indicates that we like socialism.
The questions we need to ask ourselves include the following, too. Which alternative do we like better, individualism or collectivism? Do we cherish individual freedom or groupism? Between diversity and uniformity, which do we prefer? If we want collectivism, groupism or uniformity, it means we are attracted to socialism. Do we find a people’s democracy more attractive than a liberal democracy, even though the former can easily turn into mob democracy? If we do, we are ready to accept socialism.
Common sense tells us that we should not adopt socialism because we now live in an affluent, advanced country, thanks to capitalism. Indeed, if we had chosen communism or socialism, we would be living in a poor, underdeveloped country now. Moreover, South Korea has long been threatened by its neighboring socialist countries. To many foreign eyes, therefore, it is a Sphinx’s riddle that so many Koreans seem to be inclined to socialism and support socialist politicians.
It is understandable that those who are marginalized in Korean society, suffer poverty or feel a strong sense of deprivation find socialism more attractive than capitalism. Besides, traditionally, Korean people have thought they lived in a society devoid of social justice and economic equality. Perhaps we can find the reason in the Joseon era's privileged “yangban” class that ruthlessly exploited the common people for about 500 years.
Furthermore, many Koreans are tired of stiff competition in their society, which begins from birth. In addition, Korea is a group-oriented society where individuals are often invisible or ignored. In such a society, people tend to expect their government to control everything to build an equal society.
Both capitalism and socialism have their own flaws and merits. If pushed to the extreme, for example, capitalism exhibits a profit-first approach, tending toward inhumane materialism and the dehumanization of society, as we often witnessed on Wall Street. Furthermore, as Amitav Ghosh points out, European countries colonized Asia under the banner of capitalism in the premodern period.
Despite such demerits, capitalism enables ordinary people to become well off through competition, investments and the freedom to cultivate themselves. It was in that sense that the late eminent cultural critic, Lee O-young, proposed “Life Capitalism,” summed up as: “The more we invest in ourselves, the better our lives will be.”
Socialism, too, has its own mix of problems and merits. For example, a socialist country can easily turn into an authoritarian or totalitarian society because the government controls and manipulates everything. Moreover, a socialist country cannot attract foreign investors and is likely to suffer an economic downfall. However, socialism can build a society devoted to ideals of social welfare and health care, at least in theory. Paradoxically, however, in most socialist countries, a huge gap in wealth and power exists between the privileged and the underprivileged.
According to foreign experts, if the Korean people’s unwariness continues, South Korea may gradually turn into a socialist country even without knowing how it has happened. If we want to avoid it, we should overcome our naivete and choose wisely. If we choose the right one, we will be able to prosper. If we choose the wrong one, however, what we have accomplished until now will be gone. The choice is ours.
Kim Seong-kon
Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College. The views expressed here are the writer's own. -- Ed
khnews@heraldcorp.com
